I've always wondered how the Japanese eat rice with chopsticks...I know it's sticky rice but I've tried eating rice with chopsticks and it takes ages (probably just me being really stupid!) so how do you do it?

I have eaten rice with chopsticks and I haven't had any problems. The rice I eat isn't even very sticky, so with sticky rice it would be even easier. You just put the chopsticks in the rice and pull out a bit of rice. I don't really know how to answer your question... But keep the chopsticks ends (the end which you pick food with) slightly parted, that usually holds the rice better for me.

If the rice is on a plate then even Japanese people do not normally use chopsticks to eat it. The only time rice is on a plate is in Western dishes, and a few native dishes like curry rice (which is eaten with a spoon).

My friend did the same thing, and she was adamant about finishing it so that she could (quote)"be more culturally diverse". I couldn't stop laughing about it for ages (it was the way she said it)
Anyway, so now I know to use a spoon.

That being said, it's certainly not impossible to eat rice with chopsticks off a plate. If you're having trouble, the two likely explanations are either the rice not being sticky enough, or you just don't have the practice necessary to do it.

When eating something like rice with chopsticks, I basically pick up the plate or bowl and hold it near my mouth while I shovel the rice in. I'm not sure how acceptable that is, but it's incredibly effective.

Dehitay wrote:
When eating something like rice with chopsticks, I basically pick up the plate or bowl and hold it near my mouth while I shovel the rice in. I'm not sure how acceptable that is, but it's incredibly effective.

It's fine to do that. In fact, it is considered bad table manners to leave the bowl on the table, stick your head over it then use the chopsticks to feed yourself: that's called 犬食い (eating like a dog)

Last edited by Oracle on Mon 10.01.2007 2:46 am, edited 1 time in total.

The sticky rice is SO sticky that you can just pick up wads of the stuff. It really doesn't take too much practice. But it is more difficult on a plate. On a plate, I tend to use my hashi to pack the stuff together in a wad before I pick it up. When it's in a bowl, I just whack off a hunk and shove it in my mouth.